Yankees: Sometimes Having An Off Day Can Throw Things Off

The Yankees had all of yesterday to recuperate from Sunday’s loss to the Rays and to prepare themselves for the game tonight. But, did the team really need this?

The Yankees were given a day off yesterday by the MLB schedule makers. This is common practice that allows for a built-in make-up day in case the opener gets rained out, or as we’ve seen in some years, snowed out.

And when the Yankees return home for their opener on April 10 against these same Rays, there’s a scheduled day off on the 11th in case there’s inclement weather in New York.

But I wonder if we took a poll of the Yankees clubhouse if most of them feel better or worse having 48 hours to digest Sunday and prepare for tonight’s contest.

All In Favor Of The Off Day, Say Aye

It would be hard to argue that a three hour and twelve minute game on Sunday taxed the team enough physically to warrant an off day. The four relievers who followed Masahiro Tanaka in the game might raise their hand and say yes, but other than that, the Yankees escaped without any bumps and bruises that we know about.

So, how did you feel yesterday about the off day? Are your batteries re-charged?

The off-day might draw applause from the coaching and team trainers who might take advantage to touch base with Takaka through his interpreter and Gary Sanchez, through his interpreter, to make sure that Tanaka isn’t hiding something when he says he was simply “too hyped up” on Sunday.

Which, by the way, leads to an interesting sidebar here. Wouldn’t you have liked to be a fly on the wall when Sanchez trotted out to the mound to have a “conversation” with Tanaka when he was struggling with his command?

Other players might also chime in with a vote for having made golf dates and plans for dinner. Or, maybe to study some video of their at-bats against Chris Archer to see if they moved away from their game plan and what made them so successful in the spring.

All Opposed To The Off Day, Say Nay

These are the players and coaches who have been biting their fingernails all winter just itching for the chance to get back on the field to play baseball. And any off-day is viewed as a scourge and evil plot to keep them doing what they love to do.

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There probably aren’t too many of these Pete Rose type players around anymore, but for the few there are, yesterday was a tedious waste of time spent watching endless movies in a hotel room and eating three full meals when two would have sufficed.

But then, there’s the mental side of the game that offers up a roadblock for those players who just want to forget about a game like the one on Sunday and move as quickly as possible on to the next one.

Younger players like Greg Bird, Aaron Judge, and Sanchez might easily fall into this category fretting about how .400 batting averages in the spring wilt away into a 0-4 or 0-5 a few days later. On the flip side, though, this might also be a chance for someone like Matt Holliday to join the golfing foursome to quiet things down with words of wisdom from a veteran player.

And What About Us?

So, how did you feel yesterday about the off day? Are your batteries re-charged and do you feel safe in entrusting the season to CC Sabathia tonight? Just kidding.

It’s that crazy wonderful game of baseball.

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The Yankees had all of yesterday to recuperate from Sunday’s loss to the Rays and to prepare themselves for the game tonight. But, did the team really need this?

All In Favor Of The Off Day, Say Aye

All Opposed To The Off Day, Say Nay

More from Yanks Go Yard

And What About Us?

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